National Republican., 1887-11-04
CHIN ESE HABITS.
The Customs, the Laws, and the Facts
of Their Life.


of Their Life.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,: On read
ing your issue OF the 3lst ultimo I noticed
the publication, which nearly filed half
column In your valuable journal, Of lady
missionary's experience in "China's
Flowers Land" In the beginning OF this
article the lady recalled the first sensation
che had in the spring OF 1885 in Foochow,
where she found herself amid the heather,
with whom che had cast her lot for Chrlst's
sake. ~ never can forget the fret sensa-
tion had" she eaid. "While in my room
1t was woman's voice, and the cause Of
this heartrending cry / soon learned. 1t
was the season OF the year when women
90 to the graves OF their deceased husbands
and relatives and put flowers on them.n
Now, Mr.. Editor, In the very
commencement OF her remarks she makes
q mistake by saying "the women go TO tho
graves Of their deceased husbands and rela-
tives and put flowers on them" 1t Is the
custom In the United States and in
European nations that wreaths are put on
or sent to the graves Of the deceased by
their surviving relatives and friends, but
the custom Is somewhat different In China.
There the men and their male children go
to visit, worship, and offer libations at the
graves OF their relatives during certain
season in the year, between the second aud
third months March and April), and the
women do so only in exceptional cases,
when there are no male survivors In the
family. It is not the custom for either
men or women to strew the graves with
flowers, but when they come home from
the graves some Of them may, perchance,
carry with them some green branches,
plants, or wild flowers which they gathered
.N.. l,ln al Hl.... III
the graves, and see that repairs are made
to them when they are needed.
The lady, speaking OF how the women
toiled from early dawn till late at night,
coming from the mountains laden down
with the results OF their labors or upon the
water mrowing, rowing, rowing" further
said: "The woman was the slave OF her hus-
band and OF her mother-in law. The nus
band could do with her whatsoever he
willed. The wife could say nothing, but In
silence submit to the wrongs that were
placed upon her."
The Chinese parents train their children
go that they grow up thoroughly respectful
OF authority, generating age. and ready at
all times to obey the commands OF their
elders aud their superiors. The youth Of
both sexes are trained to correct deport
ment, and to ready obedience during their
tutelage, from perhaps fear Of punishment
as well as through their affections and re-
spect to their elders and those In authority
over them. Having the right principles
thus implanted in them they are gui led by
habit and instinct to right courses, and by
self.respect and the love Of right, too. They
honor their parents, not at the word of COM
mand, but because they love them; they re-
spect authority, not altogether from fear OF
punishment, but because they see that Il is
right and needful that authority should
be recognized; they venerate the aged be-
cause 1t is not only the law and the custom
Of the country, because their elders are pre-
sumably wiser than themselves and are en-
titled to their sympathy, because OF their
falling powers.
Educated and sensible Chinese are often
shocked at the too great independence and
freedom, to say nothing Of the rudeness and
irreverence, Of some American youth. Such
American youth would be better II they re-
sembled the Chinese In their respect
for parental and other authority, In
prompt obedience, and In veneraton for
the aged. Now, when Chinese wives Of the
poor class toll as hard as do their husbands
merely for their own support and for the
support also, perhaps, of their children aud
aged parents, and daughters -in-law readily
obey the commands OF their mothers in. law,
and serve and respect them in the way
they have been trained, they are, on the
contrary, considered by the lady mission
ary as slaves Of their husbands and OF their
mothers. in-law. Thus, In my humble opin-
ion, II she thinks that she can successfully
reap q good harvest and convert many Chi
nese into the good religion of Christianity,
while she condemns the praiseworthy con-
duct OF the Chinese women above narrated,
she will indeed be greatly mistaken. Here
should call the readers attention to the
fact how the miners aud their wives aud
the poor working class toll in this country,
al the cause Of the saying, "Rather to be
an old mans darling than to be young
mans slave,n as an illustration, but had
better leave II to the unbiased consideration
OF the intelligent public, because they are
exceptional cases.
Husbands and wives In China are equals,
socially aud legally, and .ure thus looked
upon in the imperial Chinese courts. II
the husband holds on Office OF a certain
rank his wife is entitled by Law to be ad-
dressed as madam of that rank aud wears
q kind Of official dress corresponding to
that worn by her spouse, but his parents
cannot wear any honorable costume unless
he has obtained the imperial sanction
thereto, thus showing that the daughter.in-
law has greater privilege than either her
father in-law or mother in law. Can one
then claim upon the face of this fact that
dauRhter.in-law Is a slave OF her mOther-in-
law ard wife slave OF her husband?
u ubJ pclSOu III us ldlu'
lily Ill treat the wife she eau have her re-
dress by appealing to the elders of her hus
bands side or to those OF her parents side,
and IL she fail in obtaining redress from
either of these sources she can appeal to
the courts and get full justice done her
from them. Can 1t be then claimed that
"the wife could say nothing, but IN silence
submit to the wrongs that were put upon
her.n
Lastly, the missionary said, sLades In
China are sold for $2;" subsequently, she
corrected this statement by saying that
"babies arc sometimes sold for $3n With
reference TO this remark can only say that
nothing Of the kind ever occurred In China
10 my knowledge, and further comment
would seem unnecessary. 1t is true, how.
ever, that babies are given away by poor
parents to people in better circumstances,
which is also sometimes done In this coun-
try. In such cases, though rare, 1t is GUS
tomary to make a small present to the
parents, but the transaction is never re-
garded as sale. "A CHINESE.
WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov, 3, 1887.
The Jackson Resolution.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN In your
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